Tingle, tingle... is this normal?

[Auntieglitterball]

Ok, so had 2nd of my loading doses today and have spent this evening feeling as if I have been rolling in stinging nettles. Is this a normal side effect?

Also, I have discovered the pharmacist gave me 10 ampules with my prescription, but think I was only meant to have 6. Certainly both Nurses I've seen at the practice seem to think that 6 is all that is required before I go onto 1shot every three months. Not sure what to do with the spare ones...

I was having pins and needles as a symptom before I was prescribed B12.

Any advice welcome.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

a) if you have neurological symptoms then recommendation is loading shots 3x weekly until symptoms stop improving - with a review at 3 weeks so may be that the pharmacist was acting on that .... or may just be the practicalities of breaking a box that contains phials that can then shatter if not properly packaged.

b) it isn't uncommon for aches, pains etc to get worse before they get better - I think of it like having been listening to a radio that had poor reception so I've turned it up to the max and then suddenly the signal improves and its deafening ... the brain just takes a while to adjust.

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Auntieglitterball it is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 you are having injected gets to work repairing the damage done to your nervous system so don't be alarmed.

As for the "spare vials" hang onto them as if your doctor is "obeying the N.I.C.E guidelines" should your symptoms not have got better after the six loading doses, they are supposed to "continue until there is no further improvement".

Do you know what your Folate level is?

There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance

[Auntieglitterball in reply to clivealive]

From original blood test which made GP prescribe B12 the Serum Folate level was 3.5ug/L.Thank you for your reply.

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to Auntieglitterball]

That is low. Get your doctor to treat or buy Folic Acid 400μg over the counter at your local chemist and ask the pharmacist for his advice.

[Auntieglitterball in reply to clivealive]

Thank you again.

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

"that 6 is all that is required before I go onto 1shot every three months"

6 loading shots followed by 1 shot every 3 months is the standard UK treatment for B12 deficiency without neurological symptoms.

Pins and needles is normally considered to be a neurological symptom. Do you have other neuro symptoms eg tinnitus, balance issues, tingling, memory problems plus others?

B12 Deficiency Symptoms Lists

pernicious-anaemia-society....

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

b12d.org/admin/healthcheck/...

UK B12 Treatment Info

evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/b...

BSH Cobalamin and Folate Guidelines

b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/gui...

Treatment info about a quarter through above BSH document

Link about writing letters to GPs about B12 deficiency

Point 1 is about under-treatment of B12 deficiency with neuro symptoms

b12deficiency.info/b12-writ...

I am not medically trained, just someone who has struggled to get a diagnosis.